


Fantastic Drabbles

by lunar_obscurus



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bathing/Washing, Cinnamon Roll Newt Scamander, Coming Out, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Love Confessions, M/M, Obscurial Credence Barebone, Soulmates, Suicide Attempt, awkward sex talk via Newt Scamander
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunar_obscurus/pseuds/lunar_obscurus
Summary: Tales of Newt and Credence's relationship, in no specific order.





	1. For When You Can't Sleep

Credence tosses and turns on his bed, not yet able to sleep. He groans in frustration and finally relents to check the time. His pocket watch tells him it’s two in the morning. He can’t believe it’s that late; he needs to be up early to check on the creatures. He groans again. What will Newt think? That he can’t pull his weight around here?

Newt does the bulk of the work it seems, but he likes to help out as much as possible, whatever can be done without the aid of complicated magic. There’s nothing for it. Credence resigns to getting up and seeing if a change of scenery will help. The mooncalf enclosure is close by and so that’s the one he chooses to sit in. He brings a blanket and a small writing pad with him to sit on that little swell of ground where the mooncalves usually gather. They are sleeping now, and Credence looks upon them with fondness. They really are very cute.

            He flips through his little booklet and smiles at the little pictures he’d drawn next to his notes; he wonders if Newt’s book will have illustrations. It would be all the richer for it, he thinks. The creatures in the magical world are vibrant and deserve to be documented on paper in their forms and colors. Credence is still flipping through his notebook when he hears footsteps approaching.

            “Mind if I join you?”  
            “Of course not Mr—Newt. I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you up.”  
            “Not at all Credence, I couldn’t sleep myself. Thought I’d come here and sit under the moonlight. Beautiful, isn’t it?” he rambles, trying to make meaningful small talk. Credence finds it endearing and yes, he does think it’s beautiful.

            “Oh, ah, here’s a cup of chamomile tea. I’ve made some for myself as well. It has relaxing properties that are said to be good for sleep,” he says, passing a cup to Credence.

            “Thank you Newt,” Credence says. He takes the proffered mug and sips the contents. It’s an herbal blend that he surprisingly enjoys. He had never drank much tea before meeting Newt, now he drinks it every morning, afternoon, and apparently night.

            “There’s tea for every occasion,” Newt says genially as if reading his mind. Credence chuckles.

            “So there is,” he says. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s keeping you up Newt?”

Newt takes a sip of his chamomile and mulls this over. “I don’t know, really. I’m not one to worry, and everything’s taken care of. Just a bout of insomnia I suppose,” he swallows the last word with a sip of tea. “Are you alright then, Credence?” He asks, turning to gaze at the younger man with concern.

            “Oh yeah, same for me. I don’t know why, I just can’t sleep,” he says shrugging.

            “Well we’ll figure it out together then, won’t we? You know what I’ve just remembered, I’ve got some fresh lavender around here somewhere. Why don’t I go get us some?” Before Credence can say anything Newt has bound off to find fresh lavender for some reason. Credence shrugs and continues to sip away at his tea and look up at the stars. He wonders how Newt recreated the night sky so accurately.

            The man returns with sprigs of green leaves. They don’t look very impressive, or like lavender flowers Credence has seen.

            “Here we are! There you go, take some like this in your palms. That’s right, now roll it in your palms, almost like you’re crushing it. There you go, you’ve got it. Now go like this,” Newt says, bringing the crushed lavender to his face, “and inhale through your nose.” He takes a deep breath, holds it for four counts, and releases it slowly.

            “It smells like perfume,” says Credence.

            “It is used in perfumes, yes. But there are healing properties associated with lavender as well. The scent relaxes the mind and the body. It supposedly lifts melancholy and insomnia. Thought we’d give it a try ourselves, no?” Newt smiles and waves the little sprig around. Credence chuckles.

            “You’re very resourceful Newt. I can’t sleep and all of a sudden you’ve got every trick in the book for me to try. Thank you, but you don’t have to do all this,” Credence says, looking down and scratching at his notebook.

            “Oh Credence, you haven’t yet seen the full hot bath I was going to draw you.”  
             “What?!” Credence exclaims.

            “Only kidding. Unless you would like a hot bath, it’s also good for relaxation. Come to think of it I’ve also got some salts that would go great—only kidding!” Newt says, but Credence has the sneaking feeling that Newt would draw up a bath in a moment’s notice if he really asked for one.

            “Does the sound of rain please you Credence?”  
             “Um, yes, I suppose if I’m inside and I hear the rain, it calms me.”

            “What I can do for you is a short rain spell outside your tent, if you’d like.”

            “Sure, that sounds great if it’s not too much trouble.”  
            “No trouble at all,” Newt says.

             “…Newt?”  
            “Yes Credence?”  
            “Can we sit here a while more?”  
            “Of course we can.”

They sit there for a while more, sometimes talking and sometimes admiring the night sky in silence. Credence is the first to fall asleep with the lavender clutched to his chest. Newt smiles down at him in adoration. He conjures up another blanket to cover him with. In the distance, he starts a small rainstorm, hoping to soothe Credence in his sleep.

“Goodnight, Credence,” he whispers before settling down next to him.


	2. No Preference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credence tells Newt a very important detail about himself. Newt shares something in return.

“Credence, is everything okay?”

Credence looks up from his textbook. He doesn’t want to worry Newt unnecessarily, but at the same time he feels he needs to tell someone this before it eats him alive, like the obscurus tried to do. He’s noticed he’s had more trouble having control over it.

He doesn’t want to be dangerous to anyone around him, least of all Newt, who has taken him in, gone above and beyond what anyone else would have done for him. He made a place for Credence to feel comfortable in. He wasn’t wanted by the no-majs nor the wizarding world. But Newt. Caring, accepting, _loving_ Newt had carved out a place for Credence and made a home for him.

“U-um actually, Newt, there’s something I need to ask you about…” Credence looks away and wrings his hands. He’s starting to regret this already but he can’t keep this inside any longer. Newt takes a seat at the table and gestures for him to continue.

“I, um, I already talked to Dumbledore but he thought I should talk to y-you,” Credence stutters and curses himself. Is it normal to be _this_ nervous when confessing your crush on your mentor? And healer, teacher, traveling companion and most of all _friend._ Credence draws in a deep breath and slowly releases it.

“It’s alright Credence, you don’t have to share anything with me if you don’t want to,” Newt says, trying to catch his eye. His apprentice stays adamantly staring at his nails.

“No, no, I want to, but…” he starts, then sighs. “Okay, I’ll just say it. When I look at girls I-I don’t feel much. Or, anything at all really.” Credence swallows, hard. It’s out there now.

Newt furrows his brow, and it takes a second for it to sink in before he says, “Oh! Well, that’s alright then isn’t it? I’m glad you talked to Albus first, he probably had better advice for you than I do. I have no preference myself,” Newt declares, taking a sip of his drink.

“R-really? So that means…”

“That’s right, I like men and women. Oh, I remember my first crush on a boy,” Newt says, laughing. Then, his face slowly falls and he looks wistfully into his drink.

Credence is shocked beyond measure. _Newt_ of all people likes men too? He must be dreaming. Did Professor Dumbledore know? Probably, or else he wouldn’t have urged Credence to speak with Newt as much as he had.

Trying to keep the surprise out of his voice, Credence casually asks, “And? Did you tell him?”

It’s Newt’s turn to find his nails interesting. He sighs. “No,” he says, shaking his head sadly. “And that’s the thing, isn’t Credence, never telling someone you like them before it’s too late. Well, it was during the war, and, you know…” he trails off.

“I’m sorry,” Credence says, because he doesn’t know what else to say.

“It’s alright, it was a long time ago,” Newt says. “Point being, you should tell someone you care for them before the chance is gone.”

“I’ll remember that,” Credence says.

“Go on then, who’s the lucky lad?” Newt asks, smiling softly. He leans forward, eyes bright and eager to hear who has captured Credence’s affections.

Credence blushes and looks away from Newt’s intense gaze. He wants to tell Newt, oh how he wants to tell Newt. He’s just shared a reason to tell someone you like them. Those intimate, vulnerable details of Newt’s life that he guesses not many people know about.

“W-well. Um. I guess—I mean. It’s complicated.” He scratches the back of his head and takes a deep breath.

Newt is not very adept at reading people most of the time, but he knows Credence well enough by now to know the boy is extremely shy right now. Newt doesn’t want to push him. He’ll tell him when he’s ready, he’s sure.

“Oh that’s alright then. I just hope he’s good enough for you.” Newt leans back and swirls the last dregs of his drink and tosses his head back to finish it.

Credence barks out a laugh. As if he’d worry about someone being good enough for him. He could never measure up to anyone, especially not Newt.

But he would try.


	3. Sipping His Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credence forgets something and Newt sips his tea.

“What can we do today?” Credence muses, carding his fingers through Newt’s hair.

“I can think of something,” Newt says, and pulls Credence down for a kiss. Credence grins into the kiss and pulls back, shaking his head. He looks at his boyfriend, all sleep-rumpled, and can’t help but smile at the sight.

            Newt had slept in today and Credence thought it was a good look, seeing Newt in his pajamas with his hair all askew, looking comfy amongst all the pillows and fluffy duvet. The rain beat steadily against the windows and Credence did think for a moment to get back into his pajamas and join his magizoologist but thought better of it at the last minute.

            “Let’s go out?” Credence pleads, making puppy-dog eyes at Newt, who cannot for the life of him resist the other’s charms. He groans, knowing that he would follow Credence into a monsoon if he asked nicely enough.

            “Let me guess, you want to go to a café?” he asks, smiling.

            “Yes please,” Credence says shamelessly, not caring that Newt has figured out this pattern in his behavior: when it rains, Credence will walk to a café and stay there for _hours_ just taking in the atmosphere. Sometimes, he’ll bring a book or his journal and read or write endlessly. He might even bring his sketchbook and art supplies to draw the other patrons, or Newt.

            “Five more minutes?” Newt asks, reaching out for Credence with both hands.

            “I’ll go pick your outfit,” Credence offers, and Newt pouts and crosses his arms.

Credence comes back a moment later with the promised clothing but instead of waiting for Newt, he jumps on the bed and kisses the other wizard silly. Just as Newt thinks he’s about to get lucky again, Credence lays one more kiss on his lips before shoving the clothing at him.

            “Now that was just plain mean,” Newt grumbles as he gets dressed. Credence waves his wand to make the bed, pretending not to have heard what his boyfriend just said. Afterwards, he grabs a small briefcase (that Newt had cast an expansion spell on) and puts his journal, sketchbook, and watercolors in. On second thought he grabs five new books he’d bought and puts them all in too, he won’t know what he feels like reading until he gets a few pages in.

            Newt grabs his own case and holds his other hand out for Credence to take. The other wizard interlinks their fingers and off they go. When they get outside their little flat they see that it’s raining, hard. Both men sigh, one does so dreamily while the other despairs. Newt offers to cast the umbrella spell and they start to walk, hand in hand.

            “Where to then, Credence?” Newt asks.

            “Hmm, there’s a new place that opened nearby. Let’s go there?”

            “Lead the way,” the magizoologist says, and Credence does. The rain seems cool and refreshing after days of unseasonably warm weather. Credence likes to hear the pitter-patter from the rain on the invisible barrier above him and the sloping roofs of nearby buildings. The scent of autumn leaves permeates the air. Up ahead, he sees a giant puddle and he can’t help himself. He lets go of Newt’s hand and runs up to jump in it.

            Newt watches from a distance and just laughs at his boyfriend’s antics. He knows that the other never really got to experience an idyllic childhood, and is glad to see Credence making up for lost time. Eventually, he wanders back to him and Newt silently casts a drying spell on him.

            “Thank you,” Credence says, and moves to kiss Newt on the cheek. Newt turns and catches his mouth instead. They both grin into the kiss and move apart to stare at each other. A couple of teenage witches pass by them, giggling, and neither of the men can bother to care.

            “We, uh, we should get going,” Credence whispers.

            “Are you sure? We could always turn around,” Newt says, and winks. Credence smacks his arm, then grabs it and starts with renewed vigor toward the café. They reach it in about ten minutes’ time and Credence immediately declares that this will be their new go-to café. If it was sunnier they could sit outside it seems, judging by the tables placed near the entrance. Inside is all cozy comfort and Credence just loves it.

He sits on a squashy armchair and leans back to take in the wood paneling and warm lighting. Newt’s head blocks his vision as he comes closer. “Is this seat taken?” he says facetiously, and plops himself down onto Credence’s lap right there. The younger wizard giggles and tries to push him off.

“What’s gotten into you today?” he asks, half-heartedly trying to push Newt off.

“The love-bug bit me,” Newt replies, and chomps his teeth. Credence giggles at this, but is finally successful in his endeavor nonetheless. The magizoologist pretends to be put out as he slinks into the chair across from Credence.

“The usual?” Credence asks as he gets up to order.

“Yes, love, thank you,” Newt says. As Credence passes by, he grabs his hand and lays a quick kiss on it. The other gasps softly.

“Scandalous,” he whispers and Newt laughs. The older wizard reaches inside his case to get his journal while Credence gets their drinks.

He comes back a while later, looking rattled and a little pink in the face.

“What happened?” Newt asks, accepting his drink. He furrows his brow and waits for the other to collect himself.

“Oh, um, nothing she, um the owner that is, said we were a cute couple and…” Credence, starts, looking away from Newt in embarrassment.

“And?” Newt asks, knowing there must be more.

“She gave me tips. To, uh, to keep you happy?” He blushes and shrugs at Newt, not understanding himself how a stranger could give such unsolicited advice.

Newt is quiet for a moment before he throws his head back and laughs whole-heartedly. Credence whispers at him to be quiet but Newt can’t help it!

“Why do these things always happen to you?” he says, still chuckling. “Probably because you’re the cute one.”

“Oh, not this again,” Credence says, shaking his head. Doesn’t Newt know that _he’s_ the cute one? And the handsome one, and the smart one, and the perfect one?

“What? It’s a proven fact Credence, you’re the cute one; hence, you get all the advice.”

Credence just shakes his head and gets out his art supplies in lieu of answering.

“Are you going to draw me?” Newt asks.

“Yes, problem?”

“Not at all love, draw away. Sorry in advance if I move too much.”

“That’s ok,” Credence says as he starts a light sketch. Newt moves intermittently to sip at his tea but otherwise stays put, writing in his journal. After half an hour he has a good sketch and moves to lay the base colors of Newt’s skin tone and clothing in water color. After this, it will be a waiting game for the colors to dry until he can lay down the next layer. He stares at his lover and sighs, perhaps a little too loudly.

Newt looks up smiles. “Knut for your thoughts?” He asks. Credence holds out his hand and Newt laughs.

“Nothing, really,” Credence says, withdrawing his hand. “Just thinking ‘bout… how much I love you,” he says sweetly.

Newt looks surprised. “Oh, Credence,” he says and holds out his hand. This time, Credence kisses Newt’s knuckles and pulls back to smile at him.

“Does this mean you finally remembered?” Newt asks eagerly.

“Remembered what?” Credence says, puzzled.

“It’s our anniversary,” he replies, sipping his tea.

“WHAT?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick! Someone give Credence some advice on how to please his man on their anniversary?? Comments WILL be taken into consideration, the rating will be changed, the vagaries of the weather will be plotted, and the author will be happy. SO PLEASE, think about Newt here y'all


	4. The First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scene from a grad school AU. Newt tries to prevent Credence from taking his own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for suicide attempt and mentions of sexual assault

Newt bangs on the door hurriedly. “Credence?” He tries the doorknob and knocks again. “Credence if you’re in there, please open the door,” he pleads.

Credence’s breathing picks up. _No, not Newt, not him._ He stays quiet and takes another swig of vodka followed by a pill. It burns going down and the sensation makes him giddy. He puts a hand up to muffle his sobs spilling from his mouth.

“Credence I’m going to… I’ll knock this door down!” Newt yells. Newt _never_ yells.

Credence thinks, _he’d never…_ And takes another drink.

Suddenly, there’s a loud _crack_ and _bang_ as the door is shoved open and Newt rushes in, looking for Credence. He finds the man curled up on the floor against the bed with a bottle of vodka and a spilled bottle of pills. This is not what he’d been expecting. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, just not _this._ He crouches down to face him.

Newt swallows roughly and takes in Credence’s appearance. He looks like he’s been crying for hours, and his hair is sticking up every which way. There are scratches up and down his arms, self-inflicted, and older, meaner looking scars from… something. Is this why Newt never saw him with short sleeves?

Credence’s gaze looks unfocused and Newt is quick to assess the situation and come up with a plan of action. “Credence, I’m here to help you. Can you tell me how many of the pills you took?”

“I’m failing all my classes, anyway,” Credence rasps, and tries to lift the bottle before Newt gently takes it out of his hand. “Hey, give ‘t back,” he slurs and reaches forward but ends up falling into Newt’s arms instead.

“Credence, please, you need to tell me how many you took and how long ago. We can talk about your grades later, I promise.” He searches Credence’s face but the other man can’t seem to meet his eye.

“My mother beat me until I moved out,” he offers instead. Newt’s heart gives a sorrowful pang and he valiantly blinks back tears.

“I’m so sorry, Credence. Here, can you stand?” He asks, knowing he has to take him to the bathroom.

Credence shakes his head. “No, go away,” he moans, trying to escape from Newt’s grasp. Newt doesn’t have time for this. He places one arm under Credence’s knees and the other under his back and swiftly lifts him into a bridal carry. Credence gasps in surprise and clings to Newt, feeling everything shift so suddenly makes him feel even sicker.

Newt quickly finds the bathroom and carefully sets Credence down in front of the toilet. “Listen Credence, I’m sorry about your grades and your mother. Please, can you do something for me? You have to vomit into the toilet, okay?”

Credence shakes his head and tries to crawl away. Newt gently embraces him to keep him from moving. “Please, Credence, or else I’ll have to call the ambulance. I still, should, really, but I’m being selfish.”

Credence goes limp. “No hospitals,” he says, then starts to sob. Newt holds him tighter and pets his hair, allowing for this short moment of comfort. “P-professor Grindelwald,” he sobs.

Newt’s ears perk up, he feels a strange sense of foreboding. “What about him, Credence?”

It’s hard to hear through his sobbing, but Newt hears Credence say, “He touched me.” Newt’s heart is in his throat as he tries to comfort Credence, but all the platitudes sound meaningless, even to him.

“It’s alright Credence, we’re going to report him, okay?”

“No,” he cries, “no one will believe me anyway. Not about him.” He turns his face into Newt’s shoulder and starts to sob harder. He says something about deserving to die. Newt sees red.

“I believe you Credence. Please, you’ve got to listen to me. I’m going to take care of you, I promise, but first I need you to throw up the pills, okay? Or else I’m going to have to call an ambulance and you’ll be put into inpatient psychiatric care.” Newt gently explains.

Credence shakes his head from his position on Newt’s shoulder and moves to hover over the toilet seat. Newt watches as the other man places two fingers to the back of his throat and vomits into the toilet, over and over again until there’s nothing left.

Newt catches him in an embrace as Credence looks ready to slump over to the ground. He flushes the toilet and proceeds to just hold his student, breathing steadily in and out in time with him.  Now that the immediate danger is over, Newt feels a sort of fatigue coupled with despair settle in. But he has to be strong for Credence, now. The boy just tried to take his own life. Newt can hardly believe it.

“Credence, I’m going to have to ask you to be strong, now. We’re going to have to walk to my car, and I’ll take care of you at my flat. How does that sound?” Credence nods after a moment and Newt helps to lift him to his feet. He’s still unsteady, so Newt wraps an arm around him and they walk out with Credence leaning on him for support. Newt can see his breath in the cool autumn air and feels Credence shivering. He immediately takes off his sweater and puts it on Credence.

Newt buckles the other man in and gets behind the wheel. They don’t talk for the whole drive to Newt’s flat, even though he wants to. He feels he needs to say _something,_ but everything falls short. He has questions, oh so many questions, but right now is probably not the time to ask them of Credence. Instead, he turns on the radio to a classical channel to fill the silence.

Once they reach the flat, Newt places Credence in the guest bedroom. He makes peppermint tea to soothe Credence’s stomach and offers saltines as well. Credence slowly eats and drinks due to Newt’s urging. “It’ll make you feel better,” he says, so Credence follows his directives. He’s too tired to do otherwise.

“Thank you professor,” Credence says formally, staring down at the mug in his hands. Newt just smiles.

“You can call me Newt, you know that. I don’t have my Ph.D. yet, I just teach your class.”

“I know,” Credence says, and smiles shortly. Solemnly, he asks, “Are you going to report me?”

Newt sighs. “I’m not going to report you, per se. Just, um, I’m going to work with you and provide you with resources so that when you feel overwhelmed, you have somewhere to turn to. How does that sound?”

Credence slowly shrugs. Then he simply says, “Okay.”

“Alright, good. Now, you’re not going to like this but I have this water bottle here for you to finish,” he says, procuring the item. Credence groans at the prospect. “I know, I’m sorry. Then it’s straight to bed, I bet you’re tired, hmm?”

“Exhausted,” says Credence, accepting the water bottle. Newt sits down next to him on the bed.

“It seems like you’ve been through a lot. You’re very brave, Credence,” Newt says. Credence barks a mirthless laugh.

“If that’s what you call it,” he says bitterly.

“I do. And you know Credence, I’m very glad you’re alive. I want you to know that if there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m always willing to listen.”

Credence wipes at his eyes after Newt tells him that. He’d never had anyone offer something like that before.

“Thank you, Newt,” he whispers, and begins to finish his water.

“If you don’t mind me asking Credence, what did you mean by the text you sent me?”

Credence doesn’t remember. He takes out his phone to check. It reads:

_I just wanted to say goodbye, Mr. Scamander. I wish you would have been the first._ Followed by multiple worried texts from Newt. He turns red when he sees it.

“O-oh um, I don’t know. Stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he dismisses, but he knows exactly what he’s referring to. It’s too embarrassing to admit to Newt. He wants to tell him so badly. Maybe he should.

“That’s alright, then. I was just wondering. Finished your water?” He takes the empty bottle and refills it, setting it on the nightstand. “The bathroom’s at the end of the hall, to the left. If you need me I’m right next door. Make yourself comfortable.” And with that, he leaves Credence a pair of careworn pajamas to get dressed and ready for bed.

Credence tosses and turns in bed. His stomach hurts and his eyes itch and the medication he usually takes for sleep is at home, knocked over on the floor. He can’t believe he’s in Newt’s apartment, spending the night in his guest bedroom. And that’s just it, isn’t. The man whom he’s been crushing on has taken Credence in and has provided him with the support he’d needed. Newt had saved his _life._

Credence gets up from bed and walks to Newt’s door. Acting with bravery he doesn’t quite feel, he knocks on his professor’s door. “Come in,” Newt says, and Credence enters his bedroom. It looked like he’d been trying to correct papers by the soft lamplight judging by the folders he’s tucking everything into now.

“I-I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” he stutters.

“Not at all, I was just finishing up anyway. Come, sit down,” Newt says, patting a spot on the bed next to him. Credence climbs onto the bed and that surreal feeling hits him again. He wishes they were under very different circumstances right now, but it is what it is.

“I can’t sleep. I, uh, don’t have my medication,” he says, turning a bit pink.

“That’s alright, we can find other ways to pass the time. Maybe we could drink chamomile tea and watch television?” Newt asks. Credence nods, and Newt flicks on some comedy program and leaves to make more tea. He hands Credence his mug and sips from his own while they watch some people in an office play pranks on one another.

“Can I tell you something?” Credence whispers.

“Of course,” says Newt, and slightly turns to face the younger man.

“Professor Grindelwald was my first kiss,” he says. He watches the slant of Newt’s mouth turn downward into a scowl. Newt then connects the dots to Credence’s text and sighs heavily, rubbing at his temples.

“I’m going to get him ousted from the university if it’s the last thing I do,” Newt says darkly. “I’m sorry for what happened to you Credence. You’re a tough survivor.” Credence shakes his head. He doesn’t know if it will really happen, but he knows Newt will try his hardest to get Grindelwald out, and that’s good enough for him. For someone to _believe_ him.

“You’re the one who saved me. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up,” Credence says, insistent.

“Let’s focus on the positive, shall we? You’re alive and we’re going to get you the help you need.” He places his hand on Credence’s shoulder and squeezes in a comforting gesture. Credence leans into him and they watch TV like that, with Newt’s arm around Credence’s shoulders and Credence leaning against him. Credence is the first to fall asleep, and Newt is loath to wake him and send him to the guestroom. Eventually, he settles down next to him and falls asleep, too.

A week later, after Credence’s first therapy appointment, Newt is waiting to pick him up. He’s nervous, and although it’s almost the end of term, it’s still highly irregular. But he can’t help it, he just has a good feeling about pursuing this.

“Credence, I was thinking, when you’re feeling better, would you like to grab coffee sometime? You can say no of course, I was only offering because—”

“Yes, uh, that sounds great,” Credence says, cutting off the other man’s rambling. He can’t believe Newt has just asked him out on a date!

“Oh, good, that’s great. Yeah, good,” Newt says, shocked that Credence accepted his offer. He doesn’t yet know what Credence sees in him, but he guesses he’ll find out.

“I’m actually feeling great after therapy, so…” Credence trails off.

“Starbucks?” Newt asks.

“Actually there’s this little place near the biophysics building…”

They end up walking there and stay inside, talking and laughing easily until the sun sets.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Not matter how bad things may seem, suicide is never the answer. Here is the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the U.S.: 1-800-273-8255
> 
> As always, I'm available to talk on my tumblr at almost anytime of the day, so don't be shy if you need to talk about something.


	5. Awkward Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just plain silliness and awkward situations

Sunlight filters in through the curtains and streaks against Credence’s face, who blinks and feels for the body next to him, only, it isn’t there.

“Go back to sleep, love,” whispers Newt before he leans down and kisses Credence on the forehead. He is out the door in a matter of seconds.

Credence is confused for a moment before he remembers what had happened last night. He’d had a nightmare and Newt had generously offered his bed and his company. It wasn’t too odd of an occurrence for Credence to spend the night in Newt’s bed, but last night they had almost… Credence blushes just thinking about it.

“I have to be at the Ministry early tomorrow, love,” Newt had said when he pulled out of their embrace. It had sounded mournful coming from him, like it was the last thing he wanted to do. Credence hadn’t wanted to stop either.

He thinks back on it now, remembers the way Newt’s hand felt petting his flank. The way he kissed Credence with such passion, open-mouthed and wanting. They hadn’t gone further, they never seemed to even after all these months, but oh did Credence want to.

 _How would it be_ , he thinks, _to feel Newt’s hand…here._ Credence shifts in Newt’s bed and slowly starts to trail his hand towards his pajama bottoms.

He stops.

He shouldn’t.

Rubbing his hand on his stomach, he contemplates walking to his own room. But it's warm here, in Newt’s bed, and it smells like his beloved. He turns his head and takes a deep breath of Newt’s scent: pine leaves, earl grey, and fresh lavender.

Credence feels a pang of longing and reaches down to massage his aching hardness. Just as he spreads his legs and moans at the feeling of relief, Newt walks in.

“Oh! Ah-accio parchment,” Newt says, and the parchment sitting on his desk flies into his hand. “Have fun!” and he’s out the door again. The sound of his retreating steps align with the younger wizard’s hammering heartbeat.

Credence is mortified. Any desire he’d felt is completely diminished, and now all he feels is a dreadful sense of shame so hot it could rival dragon’s breath. Newt had caught him trying to… in his bed! He stares up at the ceiling, feeling his face go red. Then, he flops over and screams into the pillow until his voice goes hoarse. The day hasn’t even started and he’s gotten himself into trouble.

 _How am I going to look Newt in the eye ever again? EVER?_ He thinks.

The day passes by in a slow haze where Credence goes about taking care of the creatures and practicing the new spells he’d been given. Around six o’clock he prepares dinner and awaits the reckoning that is sure to come. What will Newt say to him? How is Credence even going to _look_ at him? He’d been doing something _terrible_ in Newt’s bed, and now what was going to happen?

Credence goes from pacing back and forth to wringing the dish towel in his hands. He contemplates getting eaten by the runespoor but he doubts that the three-headed snake would want anything to do with him after what he’d done. The front door opens and Credence almost jumps out of his skin.

“Hi Newt, um, made dinner, gotta go do that thing,” he greets, and turns around to high-tail it to the case.

“Credence?” Newt asks, entirely puzzled. He looks at the baked ziti, freshly made, and shrugs. He might as well eat before seeing what exactly has gotten into his boyfriend.

Said boyfriend is currently journaling the hell out of his diary. Reason being, Newt _never_ interrupts him when he’s journaling, and Credence will be _damned_ if—

“Credence?” asks Newt from the front of his tent. “Oh, you’re journaling. You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?” he says as he takes a seat on the couch. “I brought some wine as well, join me when you’re done, won’t you?”

Credence’s quill drops from his hand. _Oh Christ alive!_ Credence thinks. He knows what Newt is here for, he just knows it. This is the end, or at least the beginning of a very lengthy telling-off. Credence has had those before, he’s well practiced in sitting and listening. But what if, what if he tells Newt first? That’s it, he’ll tell Newt what he knows he did is wrong and the other man will let him off. Newt is nice like that. Of course, that’s exactly what he’ll do!

The younger man pushes himself away from his desk to stand. He marches over to Newt and sees him sitting there so casually, with one hand holding a glass of wine and the other arm over the back of the couch. He smiles.

“Credence—”

“I’m so sorry Newt I’ll never do it again, ok? So please, just…”

“Credence—”

“I know it was wrong of me! Okay, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”

“But—”

“Please just tell me we’re still together?” Credence blurts out. He doesn’t mean to show his hand like this but now it’s out in the open and Newt looks confused and….worried?

“Credence, love, will you please sit down. Come here,” Newt says, and outstretches a hand for his boyfriend to take. Credence hesitates before taking his hand and sits down. Newt throws an arm around him and pulls him close.

“You know, my whole day has been thrown off because of you,” Newt says.

Credence panics. “I-it has?” he asks, worried.

“Yes, because you didn’t give me a kiss hello when I came in,” says Newt, smiling.

Credence laughs nervously. “Oh,” he says, and leans in to place a peck on Newt’s mouth. “Hello, Newt.”

“Hello, sweetheart,” the magizoologist says with a twinkle in his eye. “Now can you tell me,” he starts, leaning back and taking a sip of his wine, “What exactly has put you in this state?”

Credence turns red. Oh _no_. It’s worse than he thought. Newt is gonna make him _say_ it. Make him own up to it. Well, it’s what he deserves he supposes. He fights the urge to cover his face.

“W-well. I. You know, and it’s bad. I’m sorry, I’m real sorry for it. For m-m-m-,”

“Oh, my love, masturbating isn’t _bad,_ ” Newt says, sparing him.

This time, Credence does throw his hands to his face that has somehow sustained the color of a tomato all throughout this conversation. “Oh my God, Newt!” he groans.

“Credence, I’m having a perfectly frank conversation with you about this, because I know you mightn’t have had the same understanding of it as I did growing up. I just want to let you know, it’s perfectly normal and nothing for you to worry about, least of all apologize for!”

From underneath his hands, Credence mutters, “I see why you brought the wine.”

“Credence, please, look at me and tell me you understand that I’m not going to punish you or anything for masturbating of all things.”

“How are you just saying it like that,” Credence says, finally uncovering his face. He still can’t look at Newt, however.

“Sweetheart?” says Newt, a bit sternly.

Credence sighs and relents. He looks up at Newt and says “I know I’m not being punished. It’s just… it’s just plain embarrassing.”

Newt relaxes a bit and throws back the last dregs of his wine. “I can understand that it’s embarrassing for you, but I just want to make sure you look at it from the right mindset, is all. Self-pleasure,” he starts, and the words go straight to Credence’s nether regions, “Is healthy, normal, and good for you. Okay?” he asks.

“O-okay,” Credence says as he nods and takes a big gulp of wine. He needs to be brave for this next part, if he wants to do it right. “So does that mean… you do too?” he says.

Newt grins. “Of course I do,” he says easily.

“And… what do you think about?” Credence asks in a low voice. He drinks more wine.

Newt’s smile grows bigger. He cups Credence’s face in his hand and answers, “I think you know _exactly_ what I think about.”

Credence tries to hide his smile in his wine glass.

“It’s my fault, though, isn’t it?” he asks suddenly, looking dejected.

“What is?” Newt asks, puzzled.

“Why we don’t… why we never go further?” He puts the wine glass down and wrings his hands, staring at them.

“Love, we can take our time, trust me. I have all the time in the world when it comes to you. Don’t worry about it, hm?”

Credence chews his lower lip thoughtfully. “I think I want to… I _know_ I want to make you feel good.” He looks up at Newt through lowered lashes and Newt is _arrested._

“Anything you want,” he replies.

Credence takes his hand and leads him to his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments below if you want a sequel...


	6. Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got out of a depressive phase by writing how Newt gives Credence a bath. Enjoy.

“Can I give you a bath?”

“You come home from a long day of work and want to give _me_ a bath,” Credence says, chewing his salad.

“Credence?” A tone of pleading, nothing else.

“Of course you can, how could I ever say no?” Credence says, smiling behind his food. He flicks his hair out his face, his bangs are getting long. But then again. Newt likes them that way. If Newt wants to give him a bath, he’ll let him. Just so long as he’ll submit to Credence’s ministrations afterwards. Newt might resist at first but he knows how to make the other wizard submit.

They clean up after dinner and Newt starts to draw a bath with a flick of his wand. Credence undresses slowly in the time it takes to fill the bath and Newt bites his lower lip, watching his lover. He’s not being particularly seductive, it’s just the effect he has on the other man as his strong torso is revealed, then more. Newt offers him a hand and Credence takes it before stepping in. The water is just this side of too hot but Credence gets used to it and lowers himself in.

Newt has a big dopey grin on his face as Credence relaxes, the bottom of his hair getting wet.

“Well, are you just going to stand there and stare?” Credence asks, raising a brow.

“Can I?” Newt asks cheekily, before grabbing the washcloth and special soap. Special because Queenie gave it to them, and it turned the water into starry skies or umber sunsets. One simply had to stop pouring to get the desired effect.

“Starry skies again,” says Newt after Credence stops him. Dipping the washcloth into the soap that had collected on the surface of the bath, Newt lathers it up.

“You can have jungle waterfall when it’s your turn,” Credence says, lazily lifting his foot above the water. Newt takes it reverently in one hand and starts to scrub gently with the other.

“Not judging, simply making an observation,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. He pays special attention to the curvatures of the ankle before moving up to his strong calf and thigh. Credence giggles when he reaches his inner thigh, as he always does when Newt touches there. Newt switches legs and gives his right leg the same treatment. This time, he deliberately tickles the inside of Credence’s thigh and Credence giggles and tries to avoid kicking Newt but pulls away all the same.

“Newt!” he shrieks and sits up fully, crossing his arms. The bottom of his hair is wet now, and looks longer than usual. Newt snickers and says sorry, though he looks anything but. Credence will have his revenge later. He knows all the spots that make Newt squirm.

Credence pouts and holds out his hand for the washcloth. Newt shakes his head.

“No more funny business, promise,” he says and kneels down next to the tub to make puppy-dog eyes at Credence. The younger wizard sighs and sinks lower into the tub. Newt rolls up his sleeves even more and fishes Credence’s arm out of the bath to give it a good wash. He knows better than to tickle his armpit now but the urge is still there. He simply loves when Credence laughs, that’s all. Credence offers the other arm and then Newt moves onto his torso.

He watches transfixed as the water ripples down his bare chest and Credence smirks, knowing how Newt has been loving that part of his body ever since he’d finally been eating right and gotten exercise taking care of the creatures. Newt caresses more than washes but Credence doesn’t mind. He looks at Newt’s face against the backdrop of the starry sky and thinks he makes a pretty picture like this. He still can’t believe it sometimes. Newt Scamander on his knees, reverently bathing him. Who would have ever thought they could have ended up here?

Newt reaches lower and perfunctorily cleans his abdomen and below.

“Let me get your back,” Newt says, and Credence acquiesces by shuffling forward and bending forward slightly for Newt to clean his back in sweeping circles with the washcloth.

“Time for your hair!” Newt says, excited. This is one of his favorite parts, running his hands through the silken black locks of his lover, so different from his own. Newt grabs the shampoo as Credence dips down under the water until his hair is well and truly soaked. He pushes his hair out of his eyes and waits for Newt’s large, calloused hands to card through his hair and rub at his scalp. Credence breathes a sigh of relaxation as Newt’s hands go to work.

“Your hair is so long like this! So pretty,” Newt murmurs, shampooing each and every strand.

“Not as pretty as you,” Credence says, winking. Newt blushes and says a quiet thanks. He rakes his nails over Credence’s scalp suddenly and the younger wizard all but _moans_. He immediately bites his lower lip.

“Yeah, you like that?” Newt teases, half joking, half seductive.

“Shut up! It feels good when I do it to you, too.”

“I wasn’t making any judgments, I simply asked if you liked it,” Newt chuckles, and he continues to scrape his nails along Credence’s scalp, who tries to keep his moaning to a minimum, lest the creatures think he and Newt are up to something untoward.

“Time to rinse,” Newt says, scooping water into a small bucket. Credence closes his eyes and lets the water wash over him once, twice, and a third time for good measure.

“All done!” Newt says grinning, and places a kiss on his lover’s forehead. He drains the tub and exits to let Credence shower.

Newt is changing for bed when Credence comes sauntering in with a towel around his waist. He rushes Newt suddenly and tackles him to the bed.

“Oi! What did I do?”

“Nothing. Can I give you a massage?”

“Oh, is this what we’re doing now?”

“Yes!”

“…Then yes. But I might fall asleep, so no funny business.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it Newt,” Credence says, slowly removing Newt’s shirt.


	7. Newt and Credence are Together and in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early morning sweetness

Newt woke up, slow and lazy, to a warm body beside him. He let out a pleased sigh as he pulled the person in his arms closer to himself, reveling in their warmth.

            “’s that your wand or you just happy to see me?” Mumbled Credence, and Newt laughed.

            Credence turned sluggishly in his Newt’s arms to face him. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and blinked blearily at the other wizard. Newt’s heart just about exploded from seeing this display, as it did every morning, but today was especially cute. He stared in wonder at his boyfriend.

            Credence crossed his arms. “Well?” he asked, arching a brow.

            “Well?” Newt asked, quirking his head.

            Credence rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms to hold Newt’s face in his hands. He squished it between his palms a little before asking, “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

            Newt flashed him a brilliant smile and leaned down to do just that. He kissed him, slow and sweet and warm, like pouring honey into a cup of tea.

            “That’s better,” Credence whispered in the space between them as they pulled apart.

            “You look lovely like this,” Newt whispered.

            “Like a mess?” Credence asked.

            “No,” Newt chuckled. “In my bed sheets.” He rolled on top of Credence and started kissing down his neck, undoing the buttons on his pajama top.

            “Newt, wait!” Credence exclaimed. Newt stopped immediately.

            “Everything alright?” he asked gently.

            “Oh, yeah, that’s fine. I was just wondering, shouldn’t we be getting up soon?” Credence asked. Newt grinned.

            “I can be quick,” he said, and resumed his attack on Credence’s clothes.

            Indeed, every creature was taken care of that day, Credence most of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! comments and kudos make me really happy <3


	8. In Sickness and in Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Newt gets sick to the point where he's confined to a bed. Credence has to care for both the creatures and Newt. Courtesy of the wonderful hachiseiko <3

 

“And then, guess wh—, and then Dougal said to me, “Newt, mate, you’ve got to invest in galleons! Isn’t that just the best advi—achoo!”

Credence tried not to look too worried as he stuck a thermometer under Newt’s tongue again. His fever was rising and it showed. Newt had dark circles under his eyes from a restless, fever-dream filled state all last night. His face was flushed red and his jewel green eyes were glazed over, unseeing. Credence sighed as he looked at the thermometer: 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Oh Newt,” he lamented, and bent down to kiss his forehead. His skin was burning up under Credence’s lips. The other wizard giggled.

“You kissed me, Credence!”

Credence smiled sadly and took out a clean handkerchief to wipe Newt’s nose. “I did,” he said quietly before casting Scourgify on the piece of cloth. He cast a cooling spell on the bucket of water next to him before dipping in the cloth, wringing it out, and folding it to lay across the other man’s forehead. Newt shivered despite being covered in three separate blankets and Dougal chittered in worry next to him.

“He’ll be fine, Dougal. Thanks for watching him for me while I take care of everyone else,” Credence said to the demiguise. Dougal hugged Credence’s leg and took his spot next to Newt again. “Newt, how’s your stomach?” he asked the other man, who looked to be asleep.

“Full of butterflies,” Newt said and attempted to wink, but he blinked instead with a dopey grin on his face. Credence rolled his eyes and internally groaned. Now was not the time to be smart with him. He reached up to cup Newt’s face in his hand and made eye contact.

“Newt, please, how does your stomach feel? I want to give you some more biscuits and ginger ale but if you’re going to throw up then it’s probably not a good idea,” Credence said earnestly.

“If,” Newt started and licked his lips. He started into a coughing fit, the sound of which worried the younger wizard. “If you kiss me again I’ll tell you,” he said hoarsely, still attempting seductive but not quite succeeding.

Credence blushed, almost as red as Newt. This thing between them was so _new_. Was it right to kiss your…other half while they were like this? Credence gave in and moved to kiss Newt on the cheek. Newt had pursed his lips and groaned when he didn’t get what he wanted.

“You’re sick,” Credence said patiently, and kissed his other cheek too. “Mwah! There, you got three kisses today. Now will you please tell me how your stomach feels?” he said, exasperation leaking a bit into his voice.

“’s fine. Good,” he said with that grin again.

“Good. We’re going to eat now, okay? And tell me if you start to feel sick, I have the bucket right here. Then I’ve got to see to the rest of the creatures,” Credence mumbled the last part to himself. Taking care of Newt was already a full-time job it seemed. He grabbed a packet of saltines from the bedside table and fed a whole five squares to Newt before he proclaimed he was full. Credence didn’t fight him on this.

“Alright, but you’re going to be hungry later,” he warned, but Newt shook his head. He liked the ginger ale though, which Credence was glad for. The “meal” would hopefully settle his stomach. He was loath to remember the sound of Newt’s retching yesterday, and how he must have been starved but not felt it. His eyes were starting to drift shut now, so Credence replaced the cloth on his forehead before heading out of Newt’s room and into the case.

Immediately, the diricawls came rushing up to him and started squawking, disappearing and reappearing in circles around him. A baby even landed on his head but he grabbed a hold of it before it could peck him. “Are you guys never not hungry?” Credence said fondly, fetching their seeds and some grubs for treats. He threw their feed down in abundance and immediately moved on to the graphorns. He yelled himself hoarse attempting to get the adult male to come eat.

The mooncalves were next with their oddly floating pellets, then the nundu, for which he quickly entered the barrier Newt had created, and left the minced meat. He threw different bird feed for the fwoopers and made sure the niffler had hunted grubs for himself. He threw some bugs in for the occamies. Lastly, he took care of all of the aquatic creatures. He prepared a bottle for the marmite that was not quite a baby anymore and decided to go check on Newt with the creature in one hand and the bottle in the other. He should have known better.

“Squidly!” Newt cried, reaching for the marmite. It reached back but Credence kept a firm grip on it and stuck the bottle into its mouth to pacify it. It started suckling immediately and Newt was now coughing into one arm while reaching out with another. He was hacking up phlegm and Credence pushed the bucket at him to spit in. He wiped his mouth and sweetly asked “Can I hold Squidly?” in a coarse voice.

“Well, I guess I don’t see the harm in it. Just don’t sneeze on him, I guess,” Credence relented, and gently passed the marmite into Newt’s arms.

“You’re getting so big, baby. Where’s mummy going to put you?” Newt whispered. Credence looked on in adoration. He loved to hear Newt talking to the creatures.

“In the Hogwarts Lake,” joked Credence. Newt’s face lit up.

“Perfect!” Newt said. “A big old lake for you, Squidly. How’s that sound?” The marmite suckled harder and flapped its tentacles and Newt and Credence laughed. Suddenly, Newt was coughing again and Credence immediately took the baby from his arms.

“I’ll be right back Newt,” Credence said as he hurried away to put Squidly back in his water.

When he got back, Newt had the bucket on his lap and was clutching his stomach looking miserable. Dougal chittered nervously as he saw the potential future. He pointed to the ginger ale and Credence immediately took his advice, pouring a cup for Newt.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Newt said quietly as he accepted the glass.

Credence blushed and mumbled “You’re welcome.” He watched Newt drink and then relax after about five minutes when the nausea had passed. “Good job Dougal,” Credence said, hugging the demiguise. Dougal chittered in delight and held on to Credence.

“See, I told you he has good advice!” Newt exclaimed, and Credence laughed.

“Yeah, I guess you were right. Get some rest now.” He kissed Newt’s cheek again and left the man to sleep just a bit more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively titled "Dougal's Advice." Who knows y'all, maybe Dougal knows more than he lets on. Heck if I know!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!! This was a really fun one to do. If you have any prompts, leave them in the comments below or head over to my tumblr!


	9. Obscure Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by hachiseiko: Okay, prompt: Credence and Newt. The first time after them becoming a couple that Credence loses control and turns into obscurus form. When, where, and how? I'd also love some angst and hurt/comfort... Just saying... >u>

“I’ll go in, fifteen minutes, and I’ll be back out. You can even keep time Credence. I swear, if I’m one minute over, then I’ll owe you,” Newt says earnestly, keeping his lover’s gaze as he speaks.

“Newt, I have a bad feeling about this,” Credence says a little forcefully, shaking his head. “Hippogriffs are proud creatures, that’s from your own book. If these people managed to capture twenty of them undetected… Put it together Newt, how do you think they kept their little operation quiet?”

“It’s most likely not like that, Credence. One of them was probably a skilled breeder turned poacher, perhaps they saw more money in it. It would be like  _us_  stealing creatures, we’d be able to do it more skillfully than most. Either way, one of us needs to stay here with the case because above all else, we’ve got to protect that. Now, please, love,” Newt says, pleading with Credence, who’s holding onto his coat sleeve.

“Newt, don’t go. Don’t,” Credence says with a frown.

“Credence, I have to, those hippogriffs need us,” Newt replies.

“Then take me with you!” Credence exclaims, eyes wild. He lets go of the suitcase and clutches Newt’s gloved hand in both of his. He tries to think of something, anything to say to make Newt stay.  _We’re in the middle of the Alps, it’s snowing, and you’re leaving me to face a band of poachers alone. What are you_ thinking?

“I just told you why I can’t. Someone’s got to watch over the case, and I’d rather it be you, my darling apprentice.” He slowly pulls his hand away and turns from Credence’s heartbroken visage.

“Newt, wait!” Credence shouts. Newt turns back around.

“Yes?” He asks.

“What—what will you owe me if you’re late?” He asks. Newt  _had_  said he’d owe him if he was a minute late.

Newt smirks. He bends down to Credence’s level again and starts to whisper in his ear. “You know what you asked about in bed last night? I will do that until you’re right on the edge. Over and over if you like, hmm?” He pets Credence’s thigh.

Credence’s mouth goes dry at the prospect and he simply nods under his fluffy parka. Newt winks at him and then he’s gone, walking towards what appears to be a bunker of some sort. Credence watches until he can’t see Newt anymore and immediately takes out his pocket watch to keep time. Fifteen minutes, that’s what Newt had said. And if he was a minute late… well then it couldn’t hurt, right?

Fourteen minutes go by. Then fifteen. Then sixteen. But Credence isn’t celebrating. He can’t have sex with Newt if Newt never comes back. “Oh my God,” Credence groans, and says a quick prayer for Newt’s safety. He casts every locking charm he knows onto the case, most that he’s seen Newt do, and buries it in the snow. He starts towards the bunker, cold despite the warming charm Newt had lovingly cast on him. He casts another, but it’s just his core that’s frozen with worry.

He finally reaches the bunker after trudging through the snow. “Newt, you better be alright,” Credence whispers to himself, unlocking the door that Newt must have worked on before him. Nothing could have prepared Credence for what he sees next. Newt is tied to a chair, slumped over until one of the poachers grabs him by the hair and punches him, hard.

“Is there anyone else with you?” The poacher asks in heavily accented English. Others mill about, some checking on the hippogriffs that were in chains behind a gated area, some standing near the other door as lookouts. Newt has charmed this door to be concealed somehow, Credence guesses.

“For the last time, there’s no one else,” Newt says, shaking his head. His face looks  _awful,_ it’s bruised all along one side and already starting to turn purple. And his hand… there is definitely something wrong with it. All the fingers on his right hand are sticking up at awkward angles and his wand is nowhere to be found.

Credence is about to take down each wizard silently from his concealed spot until something else happens.

“You’re lying,” the poacher says and then, “Crucio!”

Newt screams as though he’s being murdered and Credence absolutely  _panics._

“Stop!” He shouts, running forward with his wand drawn. “Stop it!”

“Oh no, love,” Newt groans, seeing Credence through his one good eye.

“So there was someone else, and your lover at that. Ha!” The poacher says. He kicks the chair that Newt is on and it almost topples over.

The six others start to advance on Credence and he says, “Stop! I’m warning you. You’re going to let go of my friend  _immediately_!” He’s shouting and everything starts to sound far away, like their speech is being garbled by tinny speakers. He starts to shake uncontrollably and black, sand-like particles are shaken from his core to fall outside his body.

“Credence, no! It’s not worth it! AGH!” Newt is shouting in pain again, Newt is in pain.

“I warned you!” Credence screams, before unleashing a monstrous black beast unlike any other. The pain stops for Newt, but somehow in the process, his chair gets kicked over which is for the best, probably. He sees the obscurus pass over him, so close, before it attacks the rest of the poachers. Newt hears their screams of pain close by and faraway. And the one that cast the cruciatus curse on him, he gets the worst of it. The obscurcus absolutely decimates him, scratching and clawing and ripping his body apart. When they’re all dead, it circles the room once before going into a corner and slowly dripping down back into a corporeal form.

Credence sits there, shaking in terror over what he’s just done. But Newt! He has to help poor Newt, who looks mangled beyond repair. Credence tries not to think like that, Newt will tell him how to fix it, just like he always does. The magizoologist’s apprentice rushes over to right Newt’s chair and free him from the ropes. He immediately collapses to his knees onto Newt’s lap and starts sobbing. “I’m sorry!” he cries.  _Sorry for not coming sooner. Sorry for turning into the obscurus. Sorry you have to deal with me._

Newt patiently comforts him, though he must be in immense pain. He allows him to cry for a long while before speaking. “You’re alright Credence, it’s alright. We’re going to be just fine. Shh, my darling, hush now. Oh my love, you’re okay. See, it’s just us now, and all these hippogriffs,” Newt says, using his good hand to pet Credence’s hair.

Credence ceases his crying enough to say, “Tell me what to do.” This way, he fixes Newt’s fingers and finds Newt’s wand in one of the poachers’ robes. Newt heals himself with more complicated spells until he looks a bit better, and feels better, too.

“Where’s the case, Credence?” Newt asks. Credence doesn’t apologize for leaving it unattended. He and Newt both go to fetch it in the spot it was buried, and then unlock it. Back in the bunker, Newt gets acquainted with the hippogriffs and puts them away one by one until all twenty are in the new habitat Newt had created beforehand. It mimics the barn his mother keeps her prized hippogriffs in.

After they’ve taken care of the bodies, they go back to their hotel, miles and miles away. There’s one more creature in the case that needs attending to, and that’s Credence.  _Humans, the most complicated creatures of all._  Newt finds Credence under the covers of their bed and lays down next to him.

“You want to talk about it, love?”

“I killed ten men, what is there to talk about?” He says glumly.

“Well, one of them did perform an unforgivable curse on me while the rest just watched and laughed. I think they even had a bet going to see if I would piss my pants,” Newt says casually of his torture. Credence looks horrified.

“Still, that’s no reason to kill someone. They deserved Azkaban, all of them. For life.” Credence burrows further into the covers which means he doesn’t want to talk anymore. But Newt keeps on going.

“Sometimes, Credence, there are things that happen that are out of our control and we must forgive ourselves for them. In that moment in time, nothing else could have been done. It’s in the past now, so we must move forward. I—” He’s stopped by Credence embracing him tightly.

           “Newt, you were  _tortured_. I think if anyone needs to talk, it’s you,” Credence says by way of explanation.

           “Well…well I thought of the possibility that I may die and never get to see your sweet face again. It was difficult. I might have nightmares. But, I’m safe thanks to you. You saved my life Credence, so thank you,” Newt says.

           Credence just hugs Newt tightly and doesn’t let go. He takes in his lover’s scent of chamomile tea, lavender, hay, and  _home._ He thanks God that Newt is alive and well, and that he’d only waited two more minutes until he fetched him.

           Later that night, Newt whispers in his ear, “I owe you.” But the two lovers share their acts of love equally and liberally between each other, being careful of Newt’s new bruises of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the prompt hachiseiko, it really helps me write and gives me something to do lol I hope I did it justice <3


	10. Sayonara Squidly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prompt was Newt and Credence saying goodbye to Squidly the giant squid by CharliePancakes

 Credence has been telling him for _days_ now but Newt just brushes it off because he knows what needs to be done and he doesn’t want to do it. He doubts Credence wants to either, but Newt is more attached to Squidly. He remembers when the marmite barely fit in the palm of his hand, how he nursed him back to health through long nights of watching him change colors from a dusky grey to a bright, healthy blue bioluminescence. He’s not ready to give up Squidly the marmite. Later that day, he expands the aquatic habitat to give all the creatures more room but it’s still not enough. The space is tight and cramped.

“Newt, don’t think I didn’t notice what you did last night,” Credence says over breakfast.

“All I know is that I kissed you rather fantastically last night,” Newt says casually, not looking up from his newspaper. Credence starts turning red, remembering that yes, it was quite good, before concentrating on the topic at hand. “Y-you can’t distract me like that,” Credence says, crossing his arms.

“Oh, can’t I?” Newt suddenly gets up and leans across the table to cup Credence’s face in his hand. Credence stares wide-eyed at his lover’s mouth and subconsciously purses his lips and lowers his eyelashes in anticipation for the kiss. Just as their mouths meet there’s a loud sound of gallons upon gallons of water splashing down onto the floor. Newt straightens and rushes out of Credence’s tent to see the giant marmite writhing on the floor. He immediately takes hold of his wand and recreates the water cubes. He levitates Squidly back inside the water, and reinforces the barrier this time.

Credence comes up to him and takes his free hand, interlocking their fingers as they both stare up at the giant marmite. “Well… you know. This is what I was trying to tell you about.”

“I know,” Newt all but sighs. “I know. It’s just…he’ll be so _alone_.”

“I have every confidence that the students are going to love him. It’s a good thing we’ve already spoken to the headmaster because Newt, I really think it’s time,” Credence says, squeezing the other’s hand. Newt nods solemnly as he stares at Squidly in his cramped space.

That night, after he thinks that Credence has gone to sleep, he cries. Either his sniffling gets too loud, or Credence has been waiting for the right moment, but his lover gathers Newt in his arms and rubs his back.

“I r-rescued him w-when he was a baby. I w-want to keep him C-Credence,” Newt says against his shoulder, well and truly sobbing now.

“Newt, if he were anything but a giant squid we would definitely keep him. Do you… do you wanna look at the photo album?” Credence asks diplomatically. Newt shrugs and sits up, grabbing a handkerchief to wipe at his eyes and nose. Credence goes to the trunk where they keep memorabilia and pulls out the photo album dedicated to the creatures. His wand emits a soft ambient glow as he flips to the pages with Squidly. Newt turns on the lamp next to him as Credence sits down.

“Look, there he is, so tiny. Tell me how you found him again?” Credence asks, already knowing the story.

“You already know,” Newt says glumly. “These muggles in South Africa had captured him while fishing. I convinced them to give me a dying baby squid. That’s all. Oh look at him compared to my hand!” Newt cries, pinching his fingers next to the image of Squidly wriggling around on Newt’s hand.

Credence looks at the next image of Newt feeding the marmite with a little dropper. “My own special formula,” Newt says of the image. The next couple of pictures show Newt with Squidly in his arms, bottle-feeding him now that he’s big enough. “Remember when one of your first tasks was feeding the baby?” Newt asks, turning the page to find the picture of Credence with Squidly. “He grew quickly under your care,” he says. They slowly turn the pages together until they get to the last picture of Credence and Newt standing under Squidly’s habitat as the camera pans up and down to capture them all. Newt is quietly crying as he traces the last picture of Squidly.

“I know, you beautiful man, it hurts so much. But sometimes when we love something we have to let it go. We can visit him any time, and he’s gonna get _so big_ Newt, just you wait. He’s gonna love Hogwarts Lake,” consoles Credence periodically, while Newt just nods and wipes his eyes. Before Credence puts the album away, Newt takes out the first picture of Squidly and puts it near his pillow. He cries some more and Credence allows him to, wiping his eyes when he’s done and pressing soft kisses all over his face and running his fingers through his hair to comfort him.

In the morning, they head to Hogwarts Lake where the Care of Magical Creatures professor is already waiting for them. Newt has plastered on a carefully neutral expression as he opens the suitcase and takes Squidly out, who is wriggling in confusion. He floats through the air and is gently lowered into the water. Credence watches as the squid reaches out for Newt, who takes a step back. “Mummy has to go now, but mummy loves you darling!” Tears are streaming down his face as he sees Squidly reaching his tentacles towards him.

“It’s going to be okay, Newt,” Credence says, taking a hold of his hand. “It’s for the best. Let’s stay with Dumbledore tonight and we can see Squidly one more time in the morning before we leave. Yeah?” he asks.

Newt acquiesces, and they stay overnight in Dumbledore’s guest room. In the morning, they walk down to the lake and Credence calls out, “Squidly! Your mummy’s here!”

The giant squid swims over from a distance and happily splashes in the water, no longer reaching to Newt, but as if to say “Come on in, the water’s fine!”

Newt smiles as he sees how happy his darling boy is. He goes up right to the edge of the Lake without Credence and Squidly meets him there. He speaks to him in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. “I’m glad you like it here darling, you have a whole lake! Be good, okay? Be nice to the students. Credence and I will come back and visit, hmm? So be good.”

He walks back to Credence and kisses him. “He’ll be just fine,” he says nodding toward the marmite.

“Good,” replies Credence, and they watch the water until Squidly retreats. The lake is calm, but Newt is trembling. Credence conjures a blanket and pulls Newt to sit down next to him. “We can stay as long as you want,” he says, petting Newt’s hair. Newt kisses his neck and leans against his shoulder to watch the lake that is Squidly’s new home.

 


	11. I Need Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt asks Credence for some time before beginning their relationship

“Newt, there’s something I have to ask you. And I can’t—I can’t stand not knowing. One second you’re here with me and the next it’s all in my head. So I have to know: do you like me?” His voice is surprisingly even but quiet in the space between them. The space that is so fragile and full of wonderment and delight, but also possible heartbreak.

Newt inhales deeply from where he’s sitting across from Credence and lets out a slow breath. He’s been expecting something of this nature to pop up. They’d been getting closer and closer, and Newt had let it go on for too long without explanation. But now was the time. It was time to tell Credence everything.

Newt stands as Credence intently watches his every action. Newt paces for a bit, thinking, before kneeling down to take Credence’s hand in both of his. “I don’t want to complicate things for you so I’ll start with this: the answer is yes Credence, I like you. I have feelings for you.”

Credence audibly gasps and exhales a sigh of relief. His relief is clear on his face. He looks down in adoration at Newt and quickly, so that even he doesn’t know how it happens, his mouth crashes against Newt’s and they’re breathing the same breath. Newt lets out a small noise of surprise at the contact, and then a soft, involuntary moan. They break the kiss simultaneously when they need air again and Newt looks away sadly.

He swallows, hard. “Credence,” he starts, and his voice breaks. “There’s something I have to tell you that you’re not going to like,” Newt says, and licks his lips nervously.

“Oh my God. There’s someone else,” Credence whispers, and starts to pull his hand away.

The thought is so ridiculous to Newt that he snickers and immediately says, “No! No, there’s just us Credence. I promise you that for me, there is only you. Only you. Do you understand?”

Credence looks sheepish as he places his other hand on top of both of Newt’s. “I understand that there’s no one else but why… why do you look like you’re about to tell me something terrible?” Credence asks, his voice rising at the end.

The magizoologist closes his eyes and figures out a way to formulate the best possible way to say this to his future young lover. “Credence, I’m telling you this first for a reason, okay, so pay close attention,” he says nervously, not knowing how he’ll be received. Credence leans closer to Newt, intently listening. “I believe we were destined to be together. I truly believe it Credence, and one day soon you’ll see it too.” He thinks to the prophecy that now resides in the Ministry of Magic. “And listen to me Credence, because I’m not afraid to say it. I love you. I love every little thing about you. I love you so much it hurts. Before I even knew you Credence, before I ever saw that sweet face, ask my friends what I did for you. I would die for you but more than that, I would _live_ for you. Do you understand, Credence?”

“Newt, I-I don’t know what to say except I’m in love with you too. So what’s the problem exactly?

“Credence,” Newt starts, and leans his head against their tangled hands. When he looks up there’s tears forming in the corners of his eyes and Credence frowns. “Credence, I need some time. Just a little bit of time. I can’t be with you yet.” A tear slides down Newt’s cheek and Credence gently brushes it away.

“Now I _really_ don’t understand. You just told me we were soul mates, and now you’re saying we can’t be together. Help me understand what you’re thinking Newt,” Credence pleads.

“I’m thinking,” starts Newt. “That you’re still really young, you haven’t experienced things the way I have. I’m thinking that… you may change your mind about me, which you should be free to do. I’m thinking my heart just isn’t ready to be broken, not that you would break it Credence. I’ve been hurt—” Newt says, and swallows down emotion.

“Newt, I just want to say some things in response and then I have some questions. I know I’m young, I know we’ve only known each other for a short time. But I also know this: no other person in my life has touched my soul the way you have. There’s just no one like you, Newt, and that’s the truth. I understand that you’ve been hurt. So have I. But you’ve done so much for me Newt. And you say you love me? And all you need is some time? Then you can have it,” Credence says.

“Oh thank Merlin,” Newt says, looking relieved.

“But I have questions. First, can we still hug?” Newt laughs and nods.

“Yes darling, we can still hug,” he says with a smile.

“And if I have a nightmare, can I still sleep next to you?” Credence asks.

“I suppose I could allow it,” Newt says gamely.

“Can we hold hands?”

“Why not?” Newt responds.

“Then one more thing. Can we kiss? Please, just once more so I can remember it,” Credence asks.

“Alright,” Newt agrees.

Their lips meet slowly in the center and it’s Credence who deepens it, open-mouthed and wanting. Newt moans at the feeling and reluctantly pulls away, even though he’s asked for this.

“I’m going to have nightmares every night. I’m going to hold your hand every chance I get. I’m going to hug you from every angle possible. And I’m going to remind you of this kiss in between all of the spaces we talk,” Credence says cheerfully.

Newt groans. He’s created a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was testing this out as a possibility for my main fic but I don't think I'll keep it. Therefore, it has become a Fantastic Drabble. Unless of course I change my mind and do a riff off of this but idk probs not y'all. 
> 
> As always, feel free to visit my tumblr and send me prompts or headcanons, both of which I love receiving <3  
> https://lunar-obscure-us.tumblr.com
> 
> Let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are life <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to visit me at my tumblr: lunar-obscure-us.tumblr.com


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